Contents
Getting Started ………………………………………………………………………………………… 1
A Guide to the Guide: How to Use This Book ………………………………………………… 1
Questions and Answers about the TOEIC® Test …………………………………………….. 3
Important Changes to the TOEIC® Test ……………………………………………………….. 6
Eight Keys to Higher Scores on the TOEIC® Test …………………………………………. 8
Listening Comprehension ……………………………………………………………………… 11
Guide to Listening Comprehension ……………………………………………………………… 11
Lesson 1: Photographs ……………………………………………………………………………. 12
Lesson 2: Question-Response ……………………………………………………………………. 37
Lesson 3: Short Conversations …………………………………………………………………. 60
Lesson 4: Short Talks ……………………………………………………………………………… 88
Reading …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 111
Guide to Reading …………………………………………………………………………………… 111
Lesson 5: Incomplete Sentences ………………………………………………………………… 112
Lesson 6: Text Completion ……………………………………………………………………… 164
Lesson 7: Reading Comprehension ……………………………………………………………. 191
Two Practice TOEIC® Tests ……………………………………………………………………. 280
How to Take the Practice Tests …………………………………………………………………. 280
Score Conversion Chart …………………………………………………………………………… 281
Practice Test Answer Sheets …………………………………………………………………….. 282
Practice Test 1 ………………………………………………………………………………………. 286
Practice Test 2 ………………………………………………………………………………………. 334
A Guide to the Guide: How to Use This Book
About This Book
The TOEIC® Test is an increasingly important test. Over five million people around the world take this test annually. In an era of globalization, a knowledge of English, the global language, is a key to success. One measure of English proficiency is a high score on the TOEIC® Test. A high score on the TOEIC® Test can be an important factor in being hired, promoted, or selected to travel and work internationally.
However, preparing for this test is not easy. Some of the books written to help you badly organized, incomplete, or poorly written. Some of the “practice tests” have little resemblance to actual exams.
You need a guide you can depend on. That is why this book was written.
Complete Guide to the TOEIC® Test is a complete, accurate, and up-to-date preparation book. Based on extensive research and on years of classroom experience in test preparation. It offers a step-by-step program that provides test-taking strategies and the development of language skills. It is based on the following simple philosophy:
- The same points are tested over and over on every TOEIC® Test.
- Each of these testing points is based on a clearly defined language skill.
- These skills can be mastered by guided practice.
The fourth edition of this Guide has been revised to reflect the changes in test format made by ETS in 2016. The scoring system, the total item numbers, the time limits, and the difficulty level of the test did NOT change.
Organization of the Guide
- Getting Started
- This is an introduction to the exam.
- Questions and Answers about the TOEIC® Test
- This provides basic background about the format and scoring of the test.
- Important Changes to the TOEIC® Test
- This provides a summary of the new question types that were introduced to the test in 2016.
- Eight Keys to Higher Scores
- This helps you become a smarter test-taker by suggesting ways to arrange your preparation time, use the process of elimination, mark your answer sheet, control test anxiety, and learn other important test-taking techniques.
- Listening Comprehension (Lessons 1-4)
- This section of the book is designed to prepare you for the Listening Comprehension section of the TOEIC® Test (Parts 1-4). In order to complete the exercises in this part of the book, you must have the accompanying audio program. (See “Guide to Listening Comprehension,” page 11, for more information about using the audio program.)
- Reading (Lessons 5-7)
- This section is designed to prepare you for the Reading section of the TOEIC® Test (Parts 5-7).
- Each of the seven lessons consists of these components:
- Lesson Outline
This provides a brief overview of the lesson. - Format
This describes in detail the format of the problems in this part of the test. - Tactics
This component discusses the best techniques for maximizing your score in this test part. - Preview Test
This is a shortened version of the test part that familiarizes you with the directions and the most common types of items. Items for this section are used as examples in the next component.
- Lesson Outline
- Testing Points and Skill-Building Exercises
- This is the main component of each lesson. It breaks down the testing points into understandable individual units and offers numerous exercises designed to increase your skills.
- Review Test
- This component offers a full-length test part so that you can practice testing points, not in isolation but in combination. Together, the seven review tests provide you with the equivalent of another full-length test practice test.
Following are the amounts of time required to cover each part of the Guide. Keep in mind that these times are very approximate and do not include review sessions.
- Getting Started: 1-3 hours
- Lesson 1: 2-3 hours
- Lesson 2: 5-7 hours
- Lesson 3: 4-6 hours
- Lesson 4: 5-7 hours
- Lesson 5: 8-10 hours
- Lesson 6: 4-6 hours
- Lesson 7: 7-10 hours
- Practice Test 1: 3-4 hours
- Practice Test 2: 3-4 hours
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions regarding this book or the TOEIC® Test itself, I would very much appreciate hearing from you. Please contact me care of the publisher:
National Geographic Learning
20 Channel Center Street
Boston, MA 02210
USA
ngl.cengage.com
And good luck on the test!
Bruce Rogers
Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A.
Questions and Answers about the TOEIC® Test
Q: What is the TOEIC® Test?
A: The Test of English for International Communication™ (TOEIC®) Test is a standardized test designed to measure a person’s ability to understand English as it is used in international business situations.
The TOEIC® Test is designed, produced, and administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS) of Princeton, New Jersey. ETS produces many other standardized tests, such as TOEFL® (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and GRE® (Graduate Records Exam).
The TOEIC® Test was first administered in Japan in 1979 and in Korea in 1982. It is now given in over 90 countries all over the globe. In a recent year, more than 5 million candidates took the test. Every year, four new forms of the test are administered.
Q: How is the TOEIC® Test administered?
A: Most TOEIC® testing is arranged by a sponsoring organization (a multinational corporation, for example) and a local organization. The testing are generally set by the sponsoring organization. In many places, there are also “open administrations.” Anyone may register to take the test at an examination school. These are given at special centers, often at language schools or universities. For more information, contact the TOEIC® representative for your country or visit www.ets.org.
Q: What format does the TOEIC® Test follow?
A: All the questions on the current TOEIC® examination are multiple choice questions. Items in most parts have four answer choices, and in Part 2, there are three answer choices. The test is divided into two main sections: Listening Comprehension and Reading. Each section contains 100 items. Listening Comprehension is divided into four parts. Reading into three. Each part has its own directions. The entire test takes about two hours to complete.
See page 4 for a summary of the new TOEIC® Test format.
Q: Who takes the TOEIC® Test?
A: Anyone who travels abroad on business or who has contact with international visitors is a likely candidate for the TOEIC® Test. All types of employees of international organizations may be asked to take the test: managers, marketing experts, sales representatives, customer service agents, flight attendants, hotel employees, customs officials, and others. Many organizations also require job applicants to take the TOEIC® Test. Many individuals take it on their own and include their test scores as part of their résumés.
Q: Who uses the TOEIC® Test?
A: TOEIC® clients include trading and manufacturing companies, government agencies, international banks, hotel chains, and airlines. Within these organizations, personnel directors, training managers, human resource managers, and English language program administrators use the scores.
Q: What contexts are used for TOEIC® questions?
A: Common contexts for TOEIC® questions are business situations (marketing, sales, contract negotiations, meetings), travel (airlines, taxis, hotels), entertainment (restaurants, movies, plays, museums), and health and fitness (doctors, dentists, exercise programs).
